Pinpointing the moment when the University of Hawaii softball team’s season took shape is open to debate.

Was it two early-season wins over Florida State that highlighted a record 21-game winning streak? Perhaps the extra-inning comeback over top-ranked California in mid-March?

An argument could be made for a few minutes back in August when the incoming senior class convened outside the locker room to solidify its shared vision for the year to come.

"I think getting on the same page right away and setting the tone, it really made a big difference this season," said Alex Aguirre, part of the class charged with providing leadership through the spring.

The Rainbow Wahine seniors have maintained the focus they established last summer to help guide UH, now ranked 14th and 17th in the national polls, to a remarkable 37-5 record entering the final regular-season homestand of their careers.

Emotion is sure to be thick when UH faces rival Fresno State in a three-game series this weekend at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium with first place in the conference at stake.

But keeping the team on course through potential distractions has been one of the hallmarks of the group of seven seniors.

"I think the good thing about having such a big class is we talk to everyone on the team so we can get a handle on how everyone’s doing," second baseman Dara Pagaduan said. "It hasn’t been so much telling people what to do, but going out and setting an example."

With six regular-season games left, the members of UH’s 2009 freshman class have gone 154-63 overall and 59-17 in WAC play. They’ve experienced the thrill of the 2010 Women’s College World Series appearance and last year’s disappointment when UH was left out of the postseason despite a 37-18 record.

"That’s why I think this year they came back with a vengeance because they didn’t like the feeling last year," coach Bob Coolen said. "This year they came out with a whole different mind-set as far as staying focused, staying loose and not coming out of character."

The diverse group will be recognized after Saturday’s doubleheader. It includes five who were eager for the chance to play close to home and three who sought new experiences in the islands.

"Coming here, I was really excited that it was just so far away from home, far away from anyone who knew me," pitcher Stephanie Ricketts said of coming from San Jose, Calif. "Every year I’ve been here I just fell in love with it more and more. It was just in God’s plan that I chose to come here and it was the best decision I ever made."

Ricketts emerged as a premier pitcher in the WAC as a freshman. This season she ranks among the nation’s elite in several categories, including earned-run average (0.97) and shutouts (nine).

Aguirre has been a fixture in left field since 2010 while Pagaduan, Makani Duhaylonsod-Kaleimamahu and Sarah Robinson asserted themselves as full-time starters this season. Playing time hasn’t been as frequent for Rachel Paragas, Shannon Lum and Jocelyn Enrique (a junior who joined the program in 2009), but they’ve filled roles as contributors off the bench.

"It’s really important that we accept our roles because it makes our team chemistry stronger," said Lum, a backup first baseman. "We have and that’s why we’ve worked so well together."

The seniors have also drawn recognition for their efforts off the field. Ricketts is a finalist for the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award, which weighs academic achievement and community service along with performance, and led online voting (one-third of the selection process) as of Wednesday. Pagaduan and Aguirre were recently selected to join Phi Beta Kappa, earning membership in the prestigious academic honor society for their classroom excellence.